


january embers, september frost

by sapphfics



Category: Carrie (2013), Carrie - Stephen King, IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/F, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, School Dances, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-16 16:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12346803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphfics/pseuds/sapphfics
Summary: The story begins with a lonely girl and the way the world floats around her, uncontrollable.It never really ends.





	january embers, september frost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lonelyghosts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelyghosts/gifts).



The story begins with a lonely girl and the way the world floats around her, uncontrollable.

It never really ends.

//

Beverly departs from Derry with only a postcard, a kiss, and a promise. The first she tucks into the back pocket of her torn shorts, the second into her heart, and the third she throws into the well where she almost died, the way a quarter is tossed into a fountain to make a wish.

She’s only thirteen years old but she’s never felt like a child should, and when her Aunt puts a hand on her shoulder in comfort, she almost flinches away. She meets her Aunt, her father’s sister, at her father’s funeral and never asks why she didn’t come and get her sooner. She used to pray for that, on the worst nights.

“You look just like your Mom, you know,” her Aunt says and Beverly bites her lip. “She’d be so proud of you. I know she would.”

Beverly smiles, even though her mother has ever been anything more to her than a woman in a faded photograph, a dream of a better life. “Thank you.”

Her Aunt smiles back, all bright white teeth. “You’re welcome.”

Her Aunt’s house is twice the size of any place Beverly’s ever lived, and she knows she should be happy here, but all she can think as she looks at her new home is that she’d never know if anyone was sneaking up on her, lurking in the shadows, in the pool, beneath the balcony.

She walks past a storm drain on her way to the doctor’s and lets out a scream.

//

The other kids talk about childhoods full of playgrounds and ice cream and love but Carrie only remembers recalls the Lord’s Prayer and bruises and her mother’s faith choking her. 

Carrie stands, screaming, staring in horror at the blood pooling beneath her, and everyone’s just _laughing,_ just like always.

She is going to die at sixteen and they will do nothing to stop it, her mother will be the only person to attend her funeral, she can’t breathe -

She hears the slap before she sees Chris’ reddening cheek.

“The last bully I met is dead at the bottom of a well,” Beverly spits out. “If you or your gang come near her again, they’ll never even find what’s left of you.”

“Is that - is that a threat?” Carrie’s never seen Chris stumbling for words, and wonders if this is some miracle her mother is always praying for.

“It’s a promise,” She stands, her hair the colour of hell’s eternal flame, and offers Carrie a hand up. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Carrie takes it. Beverly’s never tormented her, not in all her three years at this school, and Carrie doesn’t remember the last time someone treated her with kindness.

//

Carrie doesn’t tell her mother about Beverly. Carrie doesn’t tell her mother about anything, especially friends, because her mother always wants an excuse to punish her.

That night, Carrie prays to God that Beverly never meets her. He has ignored all of her other ones, but perhaps he won’t this time.

“Please, Lord, I only want someone who will care about me and miss me when I’m not around. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She whispers into the empty, stale air. “Please, don’t let Mama take her away from me.”

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to alary! i love you so much, you inspire me and you got me into stephen king!
> 
> i suddenly got inspiration to finish this part at 1 am idek what i’m doing anymore but i love these traumatised kids so so much, also i aged them up a bit so they’re both sixteen. so!
> 
> please comment if you enjoyed? <3


End file.
